The present invention relates to apparatus for slicing food products into a plurality of precisely shaped pieces. More particularily, the present invention relates to an improved food slicing apparatus utilizing tensioned wire cutting elements. The apparatus is adapted for rapidly slicing flat, cylindrical food products such as cheesecakes into a plurality of neatly cut pie-shaped pieces of equal size.
In the past, food slicing apparatus have existed which have utilized tensioned wire cutting elements. In one such apparatus adapted for slicing cheese, a single tensioned wire is spaced closely adjacent to a parallel elongate roller. The wire and the roller are mounted on the remote end of a handle. In another such apparatus also adapted for slicing cheese, a U-shaped lever is pivotably attached to a cutting board. A single tensioned wire extends between the legs of the lever. Downward swinging of the lever causes the tensioned wire to cut a slice from a block of cheese supported on the cutting board.
Other such slicing apparatus heretofore known have incorporated a plurality of tensioned wires elements arranged in a predetermined array for slicing or cutting fruit, vegtables, or other food products into a plurality of uniformly dimensioned slices. For example, one such apparatus is adapted for slicing french fries from a peeled potato. It includes a square-shaped frame having a relatively large cut-out region in its center. Two perpendicular rows of spaced apart tensioned wire elements criss-cross the cut-out region. These wires are tightly secured at their ends to the frame. This apparatus may be forced down over the peeled potato to produce a plurality of potato segments each having a uniform cross-sectional area. Similar apparatus have also existed heretofore for cutting fruit into precise slices suitable for decorative cuisine.
A number of food products are configured in the shape of a relatively large, flat cylinder. Examples are cheesecakes, and wheels of very soft cheese such as Brie. Typically, these food products are served or divided by slicing them into a plurality of pie-shaped slices. They have a soft consistency or texture which enables them to be neatly sliced by wire cutting elements under suitable tension. Oftentimes for saleability, it is desirable that the slices appear neatly cut. Furthermore, due to the relatively high cost of such food products, it is desirable to carefully control the size and weight of individual slices. Heretofore cheesecakes and cheese wheels and other similarly shaped food products of like consistency have typically been sliced by hand using a large knife. This manual slicing process is not only time consuming but frequently results in slices in unequal size. Furthermore, in the case of cheesecakes, slices which are manually cut using a knife are often not symmetrical.
There has existed in the prior art one apparatus for facilitating the scoring of cheesecakes into pie-shaped slices of uniform size. It incorporates an open ended metal cylinder having a relatively small height and a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cheesecake. A plurality of tensioned wire cutting elements extend diametrically across the cylinder and are secured at their opposite ends adjacent the upper end of the cylinder. The wire attachment point are annularly spaced about the cylinder equal distances apart. The wire elements all intersect in the center of the cylinder. This device has not been used for slicing the cheesecake but has instead been impressed onto the upper surface of the cheesecake so that the tensioned wires could score a pattern thereon. Thereafter, the cylinder with the tensioned wires has been removed so that the scoring could be utilized as a pattern for cutting slices from the cheesecake with a knife.
The aforementioned apparatus utilized for scoring cheesecakes is not readily adapted for slicing the cheesecakes. There is insufficient clearance between the cylinder and the cheesecake and no easy manner of grasping the cylinder and pushing it down through the cheesecake. Furthermore, even if such manual pushing were to be utilized, there is no way to insure precise vertical downward and upward movement of the individually positioned wires. Thus, if slices are attempted to be produced with this apparatus, their edges are often non-uniform and jagged. Furthermore, the tensioned wires on this apparatus have been securely fixed. It has not been possible to adjust their tension readily. There must be sufficient tightness in the cutting wires in order to accomplish neat cutting. Thus in this known scoring apparatus, if any of the wires have become loose by stretching or otherwise it has not been possible to readily correct this defect. The wires have been tied at their ends to the rim of the cylinder and ready removal and replacement thereof has not been possible.